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The Most Common Roofing Terms Every Homeowner Should Know

By July 21, 2021 February 23rd, 2022 No Comments

The Most Common Roofing Terms Every Homeowner Should Know. Many Hattiesburg homeowners have this misconception that they can get the best quality roofing services without having any understanding of the roofing industry. The truth is if you want to make the most of your roofing investment, you should get familiar with some of the most common terms used in the roofing industry.

To help homeowners and businesses in the region get the highest quality roofing services for their needs, our experts have compiled a list of the most important roofing terms in alphabetical order. So, within any further ado, let’s get started:

The Most Common Roofing Terms Every Homeowner Should Know

Built-Up Roof

This type of roofing system is built by layering hot-mopped asphalt and roofing felt on a low slope or flat roof. Afterward, the entire system is covered with gravel. 

Counterflashing

Counterflashing refers to a thin piece of metal that is installed in vertical structures like walls or chimneys to lap over the flashing to achieve watertight protection. 

Courses

These refer to the horizontal rows of tiles or shingles. Most often, you can find them on slanted roofs.

Drip

Installed along with the rakes or eaves, the drip is essentially a roof edge made of metal. It is used to prevent water damage to the fascia board. During rains, the drip allows water to slide smoothly into the gutters so that it doesn’t infiltrate the wooden parts of your roof.

Eaves

As mentioned above, the drip is installed at the eaves which is the lower edge of your roof. In simple terms, the eave is that part of your roof that goes beyond the walls of your home. 

Fascia

Fascia refers to the wooden trim at the edge of your roof. You can find them behind your gutter. This wooden part is especially susceptible to water damage. For this reason, the drip edge is installed to direct water to the gutters.          

Flashing 

Flashing is installed under the roof tiles where the vertical components or protrusions meet the horizontal plane of your roof. Both flashing and counterflashing are installed to prevent water infiltration at these damage-prone areas.

Felt

Roofing felt is made by mixing asphalt and paper and is commonly used in for built-up roofing.

Frieze Board

This is a wooden plank at the top of the siding and right below your roof’s side edge. Some homeowners also like to use decorative frieze boards to enhance the curb appeal of their homes.    

Gable

When it comes to the roofing industry, the gable refers to the triangle formed at the wall by the two sides of your roof and the ridge. 

Hip

Hip roofs are different from gable roofs due to the complexity of their design. While in gable roofs, two panels of the roof meet at the ridge, in hip roofs, the edge where the roof panels meet is angled outward.  

Joist

These are installed under the flat roof to serve as structural support. Joists keep the sheathing intact after it is nailed in by the roofers.

Rafter

While joists are used in flat roofs, rafters are more suitable for slanted roofs. A rafter is essentially a wooden board that keeps the sheathing intact in slanted roofs. 

Rake

It refers to that part of the gabled roof that goes past the sides and edges of your home walls.

Ridge

This is the horizontal line where the two roofing planes meet.

Sheathing

The sheathing is probably the most crucial part of a roofing system especially when it comes to insulation. Almost every roofing component including shingles is installed on the sheathing.

Slope

Measured in inches, the pitch or slope of your roof is basically the vertical height of your roof for a length of 12 inches.

Soffit

The soffit connects sidewall of your house to the edge of your roof.

Square

This term is used to determine the amount of material needed to cover the roof. One roofing square equals to hundred square feet of the roofing system.   

Underlayment 

The underlayment is installed between your roofing shingles and sheathing. Many contractors use felt for their underlayment. 

Valley

A roof valley is the meeting point of two roof slopes. The two slopes have a less than 180°angle between them.

There you have it – some of the common roofing terms you should keep in mind. We hope that this brief guide will help you get prepared for your upcoming roofing project. To learn more, get in touch with our Matlock Roofing experts at 601-299-4048 and schedule a FREE consultation today. 

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